If Vicky Hammah Deserves The Sack, Then Lauretta Must Also Go!

A good and strong leader, is one who is seen to be fair in taking decisive decisions regardless of whose oxe is gored.

The President, John Dramani Mahama, have had good reason to come down hard on some of his appointees and shown them the exit from government for their loose and unguarded comments, not that they misappropriated funds, or were involved in any form of corrupt act or in any kind of error of judgement in the discharge of their duties.

Mention can be made of the ‘Tweeaa’ District Chief Executive (DCE), who had to be sacked for his unfortunate public comment, despite the calls and pleas from the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for the President to spare him.

Former Deputy Minister of Communications, Victoria Hammah, who also likes to be in the limelight for all the wrong reasons, was given the matching orders, when she overzealously said Nana Oye Lithur was instrumental in the Election Petition at the Supreme Court brought against President John Mahama and the Electoral Commission (EC), as well as her one million Dollars project.

The President only listened to the voice of the people, who were calling for the dismissal of both the DCE and Victoria Hammah. Not that I agreed with the decision to sack them, because in politics, people say a lot of things that they do not mean or on the spare of the moment.

Kwesi Ahwoi, former Minister of Interior, had to be shipped out of the country to South Africa as High Commissioner, because while Bawku was burning, he was in Brazil during the World Cup drinking coconut.

The new darling on the block, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, former Sports Minister, was also reassigned, whiles he was still in Brazil, after the shambolic performance of the Black Stars and his handling of Ghana’s participation in the World Cup. The Justice Dzamefe Commission is exposing a lot of the rot and lack of foresight that went into the planning and the execution of our participation.

The terms of reference and engagement of Ministers differ from that of the Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and so as easy as it is for the President to sack a Minister, it is not that easy to sack a Commissioner of CHRAJ, there are Constitutional and legal requirement.

But the principle is the same, democracy, by contrast, warrants transparency and accountability.

Lauretta Lamptey, had bitten more than she can chew and her actions although is within the remit of the law, flies in the face of morality.

Public Servants are supposed to live above reproach, any acts that could undermine on once integrity must be prevented.

Lauretta has caused financial loss to the State by her actions, every reasonable and thoughtful person, who has had to be accommodated at the expense of the State at such a colossal amount for three years and think it was okay, must have his or her head examine.

The President, John Dramani Mahama, must prevail upon Lauretta Lamptey to resign, it is obvious according the laws, of the land that he cannot just by a stroke of pen sack her, as he did to some of his appointees, but at the end of the day, he appointed her and he is also feeling the heat of her action.

In any civilize society, Lauretta Lamptey, will not last a day after the exposure, she will have tendered in her resignation, to save herself, her family and the government the embarrassment her indiscretion had caused.

CHRAJ, is a very important institution, established to fight for the rights of citizenry, it is to safeguard the wanton use of the public purse, as well as expose corrupt officials, if it is established that the Head herself has done something untoward, what moral right has she to investigate complaints brought before her.

Sometimes one begins to wonder what crime the President has committed by appointing some people to places of responsibility, day in day out, he is confronted with the issues of having to deal with or defend the actions of his appointees. If some of them who get appointed feel that they cannot discharge their duties without the accompanying controversies, they should simply tell the President, we can’t do it.

I pity President John Dramani Mahama, who is carrying the baggage of his predecessor, the late John Evans Atta Mills, a lot of the rot the President had to deal with was a spillover from the Mill’s administration. Lauretta Lamptey was appointed by Prof. Mills, but he is not here to witness the mess some of his appointees are causing the country, except to say when the President was campaigning he did so on the achievements of his predecessor, so when you buy the asset, you should take the liabilities as well.

If it is possible, we must set criteria and critically examine people, who get appointed to positions of responsibility.

Ghanaians lately are becoming angrier at the least provocation or mistake, they flare up? I have observed that the citizenry have become gloomier, more frustrated and belligerent in their attitude and relationships towards leadership.

Their anger can be understood and appreciated because nothing in Ghana, is certain, you cannot predict what happens tomorrow. The joy of living today, is a promise of tomorrow, but unfortunately, tomorrow is what Ghanaians do not wish for.

We are witnessing so many unprecedented things unfolding these days, and the President seems helpless.

It is easy for us to sit and criticize, but taking that decision to sack people is not an easy one. My appeal to the President is that he should also know the people he is appointing and he should not backtrack when it comes to some of his appointees.

If was convenient and easy for him to sack Victoria Hammah, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, etc I do not see why lauretta Lamptey deserve a penny by way of salary starting October ending. She has dragged the name of CHRAJ into disrepute. Sometimes resignation is the best way out, you do not resign, because you do not have the capacity and you do not do it for yourself, but for the integrity of the chair you occupy.